Band-saw mill



1N0 Model.) N SHAW s Sheets-Shet 1. BAND SAW MILL.

Patented June 16, 1896.

WM M

u. I l/lllll ll ll/ll 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

N. SHAW.

BAND SAW MILL.

Patented June 16, 1896 W ilgzsscs ANDREW BERAHAM, PHOTO'LITNO. WASHINGTON. D C

(No ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet s.

- N- SHAW.

BAND SAW MILL.

No. 562,042. Patented June 16, 1896.

lgacgir 6 Wilgzssps 6 0/ I ANDREW B.GRAHAM, PHOTO-lmlQwAsmNsTuN D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

NOAH SHAW, OF EAU CLAIRE, WVISGONSIN.

BAND-SAW MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,042, dated June 16, 1896.

Application filed March 13,1895. Serial No. 541,621- lNo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NOAH SHAW a citizen of the United States, residing at Eau Claire, in the county of Eau Claire and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Band- Saw Mill, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in band-saw mills.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of band-saw mills and to enable them to be offset from a log to permit the latter to clear the saw in moving backward preparatory to a fresh cut, and to avoid offsetting the sawmill-carriage, to enable the log to be firmly supported and accurately guided during the operating of on tting, to avoid spoiling lumber; also, the invention has for its object to prevent the lodgment of sawdust on the inside of the rim of the lower wheel, while running, and then dropping off from the upper side of the wheel when the mill is stopped and throwing the wheel out of balance when started and cansing the delay of stopping the mill and cleaning the entire wheel.

Another object of the invention is to prevent the fine dust, which, when dry, is as inflammable as powder, from followingthe saw in its upward movement, and to control the sawdust.

A further object of the invention is to improve the construction of the saw-straining mechanism, to enable the upper band-wheel shaft to be readily adjusted, as desired, and to cause the straining mechanism to respond more readily than has heretofore been possible with the ordinary heavy weight usually employed to prevent a saw from being cracked or broken by additional strain'should bark or small pieces of slabs or other substance pass between the saw and the wheel.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a band-saw mill constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the same. Fig.

3 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the manner of hinging the legs of the saw-supporting frame. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view illustrating the manner of mounting the upper guide-arm.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawmgs.

l designates a saw-supporting frame having upper and lower pedestals 2 and 3, and supported by legs 4 and 5, connected at their lower ends by hinges 6 with a suitable supporting-surface and connected at their upper ends by hinges 7 with the saw-supporting frame, whereby the band-saw mill is adapted to be offset from a log to cause the log to clear the band-saw in moving backward for a fresh cut and to avoid offsetting the sawmill-carriage. By avoiding offsetting the sawmillcarriage the latter will be adapted to afford a firm and steady support for logs, which may be accurately guided during the operation of cutting, and there will be no liability of spoiling lumber through accidental movements of logs while being cut.

The band-saw mill is designed to be provided with a stone foundation entirely distinct from the foundation of the building within which the band-saw mill is placed, and the band-saw mill is designed to be entirely disconnected from the building to prevent any vibrations, jars, or shaking of the building being communicated to the band-saw mill.

The upper and lower pedestals 2 and 3 of the saw-supporting frame are hollow and have mounted in them upper and lower posts or standards 8 and 9, carrying upper and lower journal-boxes 10 and 11, receiving upper and lower band-wheel shafts 12 and 13. The journal-boxes 10 and 11 are provided with flanges arranged at opposite sides of and receiving the adjacent ends of the posts 8 and 9, which are connected with the journal-boxes by adjusting-screws 14 and 15, and the upper adjusting-screws carry ratchetwheels 16 and have depending from them operating-levers 17, which are provided with pawls for engaging the ratchet-wheels,whereby the upper screws may be readily rotated for properly alining the upper wheel.

The upper and lower posts 8 and 9 are hollow and are adjustable by means of screws 18 and 19, and the lower ones 19 are attached to the posts 9 and have their upper portions threaded and engaged by nuts 20, located above and below lugs or flanges 21, perforated to receive the screws 19, and preferably formed with the lower pedestals 3.

The upper adj ustin g-screws 18 have their upper portions threaded and engaging threaded openin gs of the hollow upper posts 8,which are slidingly mounted in the upper ends of the pedestals 2, and the lower ends of the adjusting-screws 18 are stepped in sockets of horizontal levers 22 and 23, and are connected by beveled gears 24. with a horizontal shaft 25, journaled in suitable bearings of the levers 22 and 23. The horizontal shaft 25 is connected intermediate of its ends by beveled gears 26 with an operating-shaft 27, arranged at right angles to the shaft 25 and carrying a crank-handle 28, located on the exterior of the saw-supporting frame and adapted to rotate the screws 18 to raise and lower the upper band-wheel shaft 12 to vary the distance between the upper band-wheel 29 and the lower band-wheel 30 to adapt the band-saw mill for the reception of different lengths of band-saws.

The outer end of the horizontal lever 23 is fulcrumed on a bracket or support 31 and is slightly hook-shaped for engaging the support, and the outer end of the other lever, 22, is constructed in the same manner and is fulcrumed on a support formed by a lever 32. The lever 32 extends through the casing of the saw-supporting frame and has its outer end engaged by an adjusting-screw 33, provided with a handle-wheel 34 and having right and left hand threads. The lower end of the adjusting-screw fits in a threaded opening of the lever 32, and its upper end engages a corresponding opening of a bracket 35, whereby by rotating the hand-wheel the outer end of the lever 32 may be raised or lowered. The inner ends of the levers 22 and 23 are connected by links 36 with an arm 37 of a rock-shaft 3S, journaled transversely of the casing 39 of the saw-supporting frame and extended through one side of the same, and the outer end of the rock-shaft 38 is connected by a spring 40 with a weighted lever 41. The lever ll has an adjustable weight 4-2, which, through the levers 22 and 23, exerts an upward pressure on the band-saw 43 to maintain the latter at a uniform tension.

It has been found by experience that when pieces of bark or other substance pass between the saw and the lower wheel the weight does not respond with sufficient rapidity to relieve the saw -13 of the additional strain, and the latter is often cracked or broken. The spring 40 is disposed on the extended portion of the rock-shaft, and has one end connected to the latter and its other end attached to the Weighted lever, and it is capable of responding with suiiicient rapidity to provided.

render the tension mechanism sensitive enough to relieve the band-saw of the additional strain should a piece of bark or other substance pass between the saw and the wheel.

The front pair of legs 4 are L-shaped in horizontal section and are located adjacent to the lower band-saw wheel, and which form a portion of a casing 43, which surrounds and incloses the lower band-saw wheel. The bed of the saw-supporting frame is curved and forms an arc of a circle and extends over the top of the lower band-saw wheel, and adjacent to the latter the casing is provided with inclined pieces a4: and conforms to the configuration of the band-saw wheel. By ineasing the lower wheel 30, as shown, it operates as a fan, and air is drawn through an inletopening 45 with sufficient force to prevent sawdust from collecting 011 the wheel. The inlet-opening 4:5 is located at the inner side of the casing around the lower band-wheel shaft 13, and its size is regulated by oppositely-disposed slides a6, mounted in suitable ways 47, and adapted to be moved together or separated to increase or diminish the size of the opening 45, and any suitable means maybe provided for operating the slide. The casing 43 is extended in advance of the ban dsaw mill, as clearly shown in full lines in Fi 2 of the accompanying drawings and in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and a dust-outlet 48 is The dust-outlet has a depending arm or portion, the lower end of which is designed to be submerged in a receptacle, such as a barrel 4.), whereby the fine dust, which, when dry, is highly inflammable, is collected and caused to settle, and is prevented from escaping and endangering life and property.

At the bottom of the casing is arranged a conveyer 50, designed to carry sawdust to the furnace, and, if desired, the casing may be enlarged at one side, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, to provide a covered outlet at the conveyor to cause the fine dust to settle before reaching the furnace.

The lower wheel, without the assistance of blades 51, is capable of putting a large quan tity of air in motion; but if it is desired to increase the power of the fan action of the lower wheel any number of the blades 51 may be employed, and fan-blades of the ordinary construction similar to those mounted on blowers may be employed. The rim of the 3 lower wheel 30 has opposite concave faces 3O and the spokes 30 extend inward from the center or ridge of the rim. This form of the rim together with the air put in motion prevent the fine sawdust from approaching the wheel, and the dust is thrown outward by the force of the air at the inner and outer faces of the wheel. By this construction the sawdust and fine dust, which is very dangerous when dry, is fully controlled, and is prevented from collecting 011 the lower wheel and of following the saw upward. The construction of the rim of the wheel also greatly facilitates the finishing of the wheel both inside and outside.

The legs are connected by bracing-rods 52, and the casing and the legs are constructed to permit the offsetting movement of the band-saw mill. In a full-size machine it is only necessary to offset the saw one-half of an inch, and this may be accomplished without hinging the legs, as in some instances the saw-supporting frame may be sprung aside sufficiently to offset the saw. The hinges 6 and 7 are provided with abutting shoulders, which limit theswinging movement of the leg and permit the band-saw mill to have only sufficient movement to offset the saw, and by this construction the band-saw mill will be perfectly steady and the offsetting movement will not impair its stability.

The operation of offsetting may be effected by any suitable means, such as a han dle-lever or the like; but it will be preferable to employ steam or other power, and when this is used the operating mechanism may be advantageously composed of a rock-shaft 52,connected by eccentrics 53 with rods 54 and having an arm 55, connected with a piston 56 of a cylinder 57. The eccentrics are small, and the arm 55 is of sufficient length to obtain a powerful leverage with a small cylinder. The connecting-rods 5+l are provided with turnbuckles 5S and are hingedly connected to the adjacent legs 4 and 5, and by means of the turnbuckles the degree of offsetting may be readily regulated. The eccentrics are of the ordinary construction and consist of disks eccentrically mounted on the rockshaft 52 and yokes carried by the adjustable connecting-rods, and the rock-shaft 52 is designed to be journaled in suitable supports or hangers.

The band-saw is guided adjacent to the upper wheel or between the work and the point where the saw leaves the upper wheel by a guide-arm 59, provided at its outer end with a saw-guide and having at its inner end a head 60. The head 60 is provided with dovetailed. grooves and is slidingly mounted on corresponding ribs or flanges 61 of a standard 62, which is secured to and mounted upon the casing 39 and is located between the upper pedestal. The guide-arm is adapted to slide vertically on the standard 62 to bring the guide in proper relation to the work, and it is provided with a threaded opening receiving a vertically-disposed adjusting-screw 64, journaled on the saw-supporting frame and carrying at its lower end a friction or other wheel 65, located between a pair of similar wheels 66. The wheels 66 are mounted on a horizontal shaft 67, and either of them is adapted to engage and mesh with the wheel to enable the ad justing-screw 64 to be rotated in one direction or the other to raise and lower the saw-guide 63. A pulley 68 is mounted on the shaft 67 and is designed to be connected by a belt 69 with a pulley 7 O, mounted on the lower band-wheel shaft, and the motion necessary to adjust the upper guide 63 is obtained from the power which operates the band-saw mill. A large pulley 71 is mounted on the lower band-wheel shaft 13 and is designed to be connected with a suitable motive power for running the bandsaw mill.

The shaft 67 is capable of a limited longi-' tudinal movement to bring one or the other of the wheels 66 into operation, and one end of which is connected by a swivel connection 72 with a rod or bar 73, which extends to a shifting-lever or shifter 74, located on the exterior of the saw-supporting frame and located adjacent to the adj Listing-screw 33.

The rim of the wheel 30 is continuous, and the hub 75 is split longitudinally to prevent shrinkage strain while the casting-is cooling and to facilitate putting the shaft in and taking it out, and the sections of the hub are secured together by bolts which clamp the wheels firmly on the shaft.

The rim of the wheel 30 is provided with a series of pockets or recesses 76, and in balancing the wheel, after the weight to be added to one side is determined, a quantity of lead equal to that weight is divided into small pieces, which are placed in the pockets 7 6, whereby the weight is distributed throughout the periphery of the light side of the wheel, and it is not necessary to secure'a heavy weight at one point to balance the wheel. in the pockets the latter are designed to be filled with blocks of wood, and this greatly facilitates the finishing of the rim of the wheel. The sockets or pockets 76 extend After the lead has been distributed outward from the inner periphery of the rim of the wheel and terminate short of the outer periphery and are disposed radially, and the weights are concealed.

The legs which support the frame, besides facilitating the construction of the casing, also serve to bring the support of the bandsaw mill outside of the band-saw to prevent the top-heaviness which is present in a great many band-saw mills. The form of the easing adjacent to the lower wheel permits an easy discharge of air and prevents any injury to the saw, and the rear wall of the casing is located a sufficient distance from the wheel to allow the air put in motion by the wheel to pass outward from the center of the wheel and over the inner face of the rim. By casting the bed, pedestal, that holds the lower wheel, and the wheel-guard in one piecegreat strength is imparted to the sawsupporting frame and vibration is in a great measure prevented.

The guide-arm is prevented from being vi brated by means of a brace 77, secured to the top of and extending backward from ,the standard 62 and having its rear end 78 connected with the base of the band-saw mill by a vertical post 7 9. The rear end 78 of the brace '77 is bent at an angle and partly embraces the upper end of the post 79, and the lower end of the latter may be bolted or otherwise fastened to one of the legs or may be secured to any other portion. of the base of the band-saw mill. By this construction the upper guide is supported and is not liable to be swayed or vibrated by heavy wind and motion of machinery or the turning down of heavy logs and the drawing of them into the mill.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a band-saw mill, the combination of a saw-supporting fra1ne,upper and lower bandsaw wheels, a band-saw, and hinged legs supporting the frame, whereby the latter is capable of a limited movement to offset and onset the saw, substantially as described.

2. In a band-saw mill, the combination of a saw-supporting frame, upper and lower bandsaw wheels, a band-saw, legs supporting the saw-supporting frame and hinged at their tops and bottoms, whereby the saw-supporting frame is capable of a limited movement to offset and onset the saw, substantially as described.

3. In a band-saw mill, the combination of a saw-supporting frame provided with hinged legs and capable of movement laterally of the line of cut of the saw, a rock-shaft having an arm and provided with an eccentric, a connecting-rod extending from the eccentric to the saw-supporting frame, and means for operating the rock-shaft, substantially as described.

4. I11 aband-saw mill, the combination of a saw-supporting frame provided with hinged legs and capable of movement laterally of the line of cut of the saw, a rock-shaft provided with an arm, adjustable connecting-rods extending from the saw-supporting frame to the rock-shaft, eccentrics mounted on the rockshaft and connected to the adjacent ends of said rods, and the cylinder having a piston connected with the arm of the rock-shaft, substantially as described.

5. A band-saw mill having a lower bandsaw wheel with spokes, and provided with a casing receiving and surrounding the lower bandsaw wheel and provided with an air-inlet opening and having a dust-outlet, whereby the lower band-saw wheel is caused to operate as a fan by reason of the spokes to 0011- trol the dust, substantially as described.

6. In a band-saw mill, the combination of the lower band'saw wheel, a casing surrounding the said wheel and provided with an airinlet and having a dust-outlet, and blades mounted on the wheel, substantially as described.

7. In a band-saw mill, the combination of a saw-supporting frame having a curved bed, a lower band-saw wheel located beneath the curved bed, a casing surrounding the lower wheel and having the said bed for its top, and provided with an air-inlet and the dustoutlet, and inclined portions 44: arranged at the bottom of the casing adjacent to the lower wheel, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a band-saw mill, the combination of a saw-supporting frame, L-shaped legs hingedly connected with the supporting-frame, a lower band-saw wheel, and a casing surrounding the said wheel and having the adjacent legs forming a portion of it and provided with an air-inlet and a dust-outlet, substantially as described.

9. In a band-saw mill, the combination of a saw-supportin g frame, vertical posts or stan dards, an upper wheel supported by the posts or stan dards, horizontally-disposed levers fulcrumed at their outer ends and supporting the posts or standards, a rock-shaft having an arm connected with the inner ends of the levers, a weighted arm arranged on the rockshaft, and a spring connecting the weighted arm with the rock-shaft, substantially as described.

lO. In a band-saw mill, the combination of a saw-supporting frame, an upper band-saw wheel, vertically-movable standards or posts for supporting the same, straining mechanism sustaining the posts or standards, and having a rock-shaft, and a Weighted arm, and a spring connecting the weighted arm with the rock-shaft, substantially as described.

11. In a band-saw mill, the combination of a saw-supporting frame, vertically-movable posts or standards, straining-levers supportin g the posts or standards, a weight connected with the straining-levers,a lever 32 f ulcrumed on the supporting-frame and forming a ful crum for one of the straining-levers, and means for raising and lowering the outer end of the lever 32, substantially as and for the purpose described.

12. In a band-saw mill, the combination of a saw-supporting frame, vertically-movable posts, straining-levers connected with and sustaining the posts, a weight connected with the straining-levers, a lever 32 fulcrumed on the frame and forming a fulcrum for the adjacent straining-lever, a bracket mounted on the frame, and an adjusting-screw interposed between the bracket and the outer end of the lever 32, substantially as and for the purpose described.

13. In a band-saw mill, the combination of a saw-supporting frame, vertically-movable posts mounted thereon, straining-levers fulcrumed on the frame, a weight connected with the straining-levers, vertically-disposed screws stepped on the straining-levers, and engaging the posts, a horizontal shaft journaled on the straining-levers, beveled gearing connecting the screws with the shaft, an operating-shaft, and gearing connecting the shafts, substantially as described.

14. In a band-saw mill, the combination of a saw-supporting frame, vertically-movable posts, horizontal straining-levers 22 and 23, the straining-lever 23 being fulcrumed on the frame, a lever 32 mounted on the frame and forming a fulcrum for the other straining-lever, means for adjusting the lever 32, vertical screws stepped on the straining-levers and engaging the posts, a horizontal shaft journaled on the straining-levers, gearing connecting the ends of the shaft with the screws, an operating-shaft connected by gearing with the horizontal shaft, and a rock-shaft connected with the straining -levers, and provided with a weighted arm, substantially as described.

15. In a band-saw mill, the combination of a supporting-frame having a standard, and provided with hinged legs,a guide-arm mounted on the standard, means for raising and lowering the guide-arm, a bracket or brace 77 extending horizontally from the top of the standard, and a bar connecting the outer end of the bracket or brace with the base of the band-saw mill, substantially as described.

16. In a band-saw mill, a band-wheel pro- Vided at its rim with a series of pockets, or recesses disposed radially and extending outward from the inner periphery of the rim and terminating short of the outer periphery, and counterbalancing-weights within the pockets or recesses, substantially as described.

17. The combination of the lower band-saw wheel having a rim with opposite concave faces, and provided with spokes extending inward from the center or ridge of the rim of the wheel, blades mounted on the wheel and a casing surrounding the wheel and provided with a dust-outlet and an air-inlet, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. NOAH SHAWV.

WVitnesses:

JAMES MoLoNEY, C. A. CHAMBERLIN. 

